The cover has a silhouette of a person shooting through the word SOL!
Name: Black Sol
Author: Sachin Warty
Format: Hardcopy
Number of pages: 261
Availability: Amazon (Buy the paperback here)
Rating: 4/5
Black Sol here seems to be the darkness that hangs over some of us when bad things happen in our lives.
The English language is very good. There are a few Indian words, that non-Indians may not be aware of, like kutcha, pucca, gullies, patka, barsatis, etc. There were also quite a few English words that I hadn’t heard of before, like reconnaissance, counterinsurgency, moot, satyriasis, bestial, ambit, eidetic, squall, etc.
The word that was new to me plus fascinating was sobriquet.
I’m a sucker for phrases but this one was new to me – ‘packed cheek by jowl’. Have you come across this phrase before?
Mihir is an ex-special forces officer who was court-marshalled. He is determined to find out who killed his close friend and former colleague, Chris, and why. Chris was mysteriously found dead in a remote part of a village. In Mihir’s search for justice, the sinister secrets he uncovers are mind-boggling. When a lot of big fry are involved, you have to be someone like Mihir to stay alive. But, will he be able to save himself? Read for yourself.
*It was well-written.
*It was a good thriller that included betrayal and vengeance.
*It showed what money can make people do.
*The author is a former army officer and you can see that in all the details mentioned in the story.
*Spotted some negligible errors.
*The book had too many characters. Two of them had the same first name. Tuhin Khanna was introduced in chapter 12 and then spoken about only in chapter 17. I had to go back to the previous chapters to recall him. Also, the four main protagonists/antagonists had names starting with the same alphabet. So, it was a bit confusing at times. I prefer when everyone has different names.
I liked the book but it was too action-packed for my liking. I mean the author even mentions what type of gun each character is carrying in each firefight. Not something I understand, perhaps. I only got interested in what was happening AFTER the second half of the book because things got moving.
Though for me, Black Sol was not ‘unputdownable’, I must say that it is definitely very well-written. So, if you enjoy the combination of army jargon, murder mystery and action, this is surely one book you must read.
Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts.
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This post is part of the Bookish League blog hop hosted by Bohemian Bibliophile.
15 Comments
I don’t mind the army jargon… grew up with the words you listed. I am adding the book to the TBR. Not in that frame of mind right now to pick it up yet. Thanks for an honest review, Cindy.
You’re welcome, Ritu!
Sad it didn’t work out for you. The army angle is making me want to pick it up. But Guess I will give it a pass though.
I’m not one for military thrillers either – thanks for the honest review, I’ll skip it.
As someone who enjoys a good thriller, this review really piqued my interest in Black Sol!
The combination of army jargon, murder mystery, and action sounds intriguing, though I can see how the detailed gun descriptions and numerous characters might feel overwhelming.
I really like how you structured this review and went through with it in detail. Also liked your honesty in putting out a balanced opinion here. For me, this one seems a maybe!
I like thrillers, but I’m more interested in psychological thrillers than action-packed ones. Too many characters really confuse me, so it doesn’t seem like my kind of book, but it’s very well written, as you say; writing style makes a difference.
I appreciate the honest critique about the complex names and action-packed details—it’s helpful for potential readers. The plot sounds intriguing, though I agree, too much military jargon can get overwhelming. Definitely seems worth a try for thriller lovers!
I read that many readers describe the book as an outstanding mystery tale. But I’m a bit away from this genre.
I have heard packed cheek by jowl and the visual this phrase gives me is always hilarious. I too don’t like thrillers that are too plot heavy and don’t focus enough on character depth.
It sounds like a decent read. I like mysteries, and I looked up the words you mentioned, especially satyriasis. This was new to me as well. Moreover, the theme is to my liking.
I love how balanced and precise your review of this book was.To me only the title seemed interesting and I do not mind knowing about gun stats either but if its not fast paced and engaging, it is not for me.
I’m surprised you didn’t hear the word ‘moot’ before. An ex-army officer writing about ex-special forces seems like an added layer of authenticity to the character and story. Also action and spy thriller with betrayal and vengeance are my favourite. Will check this out. Thanks for the honest review and recommendation
You know what Cindy, the character and background of Mihir seemed familiar to the character of Vidyut Jamal in the movie Commando. But yes, all stories are different as they tell stories of different people. The points you have mentioned in your review to focus on the usage of the main characters’ names, it helped me to write my stories better. Thanks a lot!
My pleasure, Swarnali!